Clean Run - September 2014 - 32

Soft Threadle

At first glance you'd have to
believe that the challenge in
Figure 11 has been softened in
this combination threadle because the intro jumps have been
eased back to take out a dimension of depth in the approach to
each subsequent jump.
The set of jumps introduces the
real possibility of a runout refusal
(the runout line is illustrated with
dashed green lines). This challenge did not exist in the simple
threadle because the dog had no
capacity for approach to the subsequent jump; therefore, the subsequent jump is not eligible for a
refusal call before the dog actually turns back to the gap. However,
in the case of a (so-called) "soft
threadle," the refusal plane of
each subsequent jump is live before the dog actually turns back.
Obviously, from a handling point
of view, the dog needs to be geared
down through this series of jumps
to draw in the turning radius.
Hard Threadle
The combination threadle in
Figure 12 increases the depth
of the transition from the intro
jump to the next jump.

3
3

A threadle doesn't have to be comprised of jumps.
12

There is a real possibility of a runout refusal in this
"soft threadle."
13

This combination threadle increases the depth of the
transition from the intro jump to the next jump.
14

In this difficult threadle, the dog gets a square look at
the wrong side of both jumps #2 and #3.
15

T
4

T
1

The depressed-angle approach from the table
predisposes the dog to the right-turning
through-the-gap solution.

Much Harder Threadle
The next step after "hard" is "a whole bunch harder." In the sequence shown in Figure 13,
the dog gets a square look at the wrong side of both jump #2 and jump #3.

Course Design Considerations
The course designer has a broad measure of control of the approach to the threadle
challenge, and considerable attention should be given to the consequence of the approach. In Figure 14, the dog has a depressed-angle approach from the table. In general this predisposes the dog to the right-turning through-the-gap solution. Though a
more depressed angle would introduce to a greater extent the off-course challenge of
the second jump of the threadle.

Threadles require the handler to be in a control
position. If two control positions are positioned with a
fast transition between them, only the faster handlers
will be able to manage the challenge well.

Certainly the threadle challenge will be messy if the depressed-angle approach is from right to left. That means that the handler will be
fighting against the natural turning direction while faced with doing a rather precise and technical handling maneuver.
Note that a threadle requires the handler to be in a control position. It is a challenge that requires micromanagement. The dog cannot be
released to work. In the design of the challenge the course designer should understand that when two control positions are positioned with
a fast transition between them, as in Figure 15, then only the young long-legged handlers who can outrun their dogs will survive the challenge. So if the course designer's ambition is to thwart older handlers with arthritic knees, like me, then this is a dandy way to do it. D

Bud Houston is a long-time agility instructor and author living in Waterford, Ohio. He has written 28 volumes of training manuals published in the pages of the Just For
Fun Agility Notebook; a series of agility training manuals published by Clean Run Productions; Go The Distance, a training manual aimed at teaching handlers to
work at a distance from their dogs (with Stacy Peardot-Goudy); the Clean Run Book of Agility Games 2nd edition, a comprehensive guide to rules for agility games;
and the Junior Handlers' Training Manual (with Ruth Van Keuren). Bud is a USDAA Masters judge and an AKC Agility Judge Emeritus as well as a JFF and TDAA judge.
He is also a retired NADAC and DOCNA judge. Bud blogs at http://budhouston.wordpress.com.
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Clean Run | September 14

http://budhouston.wordpress.com

Clean Run - September 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - September 2014